Any readers who are keeping track with this story may be wondering my about update schedule. I've decided to update this story every 4-5 days. If problems appear, however, don't be surprised if I change it.
Anyways, I don't want this story to be entirely focused on Ko, so after one chapter that's focused on Ko, I'll go around to other well-known characters or the mystery character that decided to pop up in this chapter...
Disclaimer: I do not own the Jak and Daxter trilogy, I only own Ko and the new,mysterious characters. The Jak and Daxter trilogy belongs to its rightful and respectful owners.
Over in the Freedom League HQ, Torn was hunched over yet another table, eyebrows furrowed and eyes quickly darting back and forth as he read a recent report. Newly developed Metal Heads had broken through the already broken wall, attacking the Port. The Freedom League had managed to hold off the attack, yet they'd lost a rather unsettling amount of their own.
Sighing, he pulled back and rubbed his temples, reaching for the mug of coffee a few feet away. He'd known that the situation Haven City would be in, even after taking the Baron off of the throne and defeating Cyber-Errol, would be fragile, yet he was sure that most of the more dangerous Metal Heads had been taken down. Once again, he'd been proven wrong and it was thrown in his face.
Drinking down some coffee, he pushed the report aside, pulling out another one. It was dated two days back, and was a rather short report. Putting down the mug of coffee, Torn began to read it.
"Two days ago, highly developed Metal Heads broke through the Wall, taking many Freedom League Guards by surprise. They stormed through the Industrial section and took down many Guards and civilians. I was quickly wounded by one of these Metal Heads, yet managed to pull myself up into a safe position, shooting at some of the enemies.
These Metal Heads are very intelligent, appearing almost human-like physically. They were able to dodge some of point blank attacks, and were even able to take cover and shoot with their palm, which seemed to suck Dark Eco out of their system and fire it. We have a new enemy it seems, and this one is proving to be a very difficult and strategic one."
Torn frowned as he finished reading the report, pulling back. He remembered Ashelin coming in HQ around thirty minutes ago, informing him that Jak had been there at the attack. She told him that they'd gotten through half of the Industrial section, and had just started attacking the Port when Jak arrived and, with the help of some Guards, stopped the assault.
When she'd told him that Jak confirmed the claim of human-like Metal Heads he had immediately cursed and turned back to the reports and maps, scanning over the documents. There was no time for dilly-dally anymore; the war was raging on.
"My my…" a voice murmured, causing Torn to snap his head up, spinning around. A rather short girl with black hair pulled into low pigtails stepped out into the light, an amused look covering her face. "The Commander of the Freedom League is left all alone at HQ? Makoto will be pleased to hear that their defenses are low," she smiled, voice sweet yet facial expressions twisting into those of a sadist's.
Torn instantly pulled out his dagger, holding it in front of him. He glowered at the girl, yet this caused her to smile even wider. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he snarled.
The girl smirked and held her hands behind her back. "I am Mai Tonbo, and Commander of the Freedom League, I am here to take control of the entire city," she giggled. His eyes narrowed at that, and he tensed. She noticed his tension and grinned. "Aww…don't be like that, Commander…after all, it's going to be our little secret, right?" With that, she took a few steps forward.
Out of nowhere, vines of Dark Eco erupted from the ground and wrapped around Torn's wrists and ankles. The dagger fell from his grip and crashed into the ground, the noise echoing through the empty area. His eyes widened for a brief amount of time, yet everything quickly registered. She was leading the Metal Head army. He instantly began to struggle, yet something instantly began to burn around his wrist and ankles. "Crap!" he yelled out, looking over at his wrists. Dark Eco was covering his wrists, and he instantly realized that it was harming him.
Mai was now in front of him, a mischievous look glimmering in her eyes. A smirk twisted her lips upwards, and a single finger rose to her lips, barely touching it. "It'll be our secret," she giggled. With that, she turned and strolled out of the HQ, yet before she took the elevator down, she smiled at Torn, and rose her hand, creating a wall of Dark Eco in front of the door.
"Have fun."
~:~
Ashelin stormed through New Haven, her aura warning those to either keep their distance or to treat her with respect. Her hands were clenched at her sides and her eyebrows were pulled down tightly. The syringe that had been in her pocket was tucked away in a case back at the hospital. It was under high safety measures, seeing how it was very deadly and could cause complete and utter chaos.
She shook her head at the thought of the syringe. Ko just had to be stupid and run off! She just had to put herself in a position that stressed other people out and shoot them all another annoying smile. Ashelin didn't even mind that the girl had been crying at this point. Torn had always grumbled about her being over emotional whenever the Shadow had brought her up, and so she took his word for it…and his word was correct.
Growling quietly, Ashelin snapped herself out of her thoughts and stormed towards HQ, yet halted when she spotted a short girl with black hair sitting on the edge of the fountain. The girl looked up at her, and a smirk instantly appeared. "Are you Ashelin?" she inquired, voice sounding sweet… Ashelin's eyes narrowed. Too sweet…
She crossed her arms, eyes taking an even more warning glint. "What's it to you?" she demanded.
The girl grinned, pushing herself to her feet. She placed her hands behind her back and leaned back on her heels. "It's an honor to meet you," she giggled, lips ending up in a smile.
Mentally, Ashelin groaned. Great…another smiler. She glared at the girl. "What do you want?" she hissed, yet all the girl did was grin.
"You remind me quite a bit of the Commander...Are you two friends by any chance?" she observed, placing a finger on her chin. She grinned when she spotted the other stiffen. "Oh yes…you have no idea what happened." The girl beamed. "Our plan is going exactly as thought out."
Ashelin pulled one of her pistols out of her holster, and aimed it at the girl, eyes narrowing. "What did you do to Torn?" she growled.
The girl's eyes widened innocently, placing a hand on her chest. "Why, I've done nothing to Mr. Commander…" She shrugged. "It's only normal to trap him with Dark Eco, right?" Her mouth turned upwards with a maniacal grin.
A loud beep sounded from the girl, causing her to pout. "Aw…" she whined, crossing her arms. "Mako-ko didn't let me have any fun with you…" She bit her lip. "Oh well…I guess I can have fun with you later."
Ashelin pulled back the trigger at the girl, yet was taken aback when a pillar of Dark Eco was standing in front of the girl, apparently holding the bullet within. Her eyes widened as she smirked, taking a few steps forward. "Did you know…that Dark Eco can be used for many, many things?" she whispered, eyes suddenly taking an ominous appearance.
Ashelin cocked her gun, ready to pull back the trigger again when a tendril of Dark Eco wrapped around it, tossing it out and over into the water. She hissed in surprise, pulling out her other pistol when a hand wrapped around it. Her eyes shot up and met misty brown ones. "You are now my servant," a voice murmured, causing Ashelin to sink back. "You will follow all my orders."
In her mind, Ashelin registered that she had been caught by the enemy, yet this only lasted for a moment. A haze washed away the recognition and replaced it with susceptibility. She fell back into the fog, with one last thought ringing out…
Crap.
~:~
Sig was enjoying his life. It was as simple as that.
Here he was; lounging in a throne in a large throne room when just a year ago he'd been serving a scumbag named Krew. His nose rid up in disgust at the very thought of the man. He was glad that he was dead now.
Despite the city's needs stressing him out every now and then, he was very fond of this sort of lifestyle. Not having to go back to Haven City was a dream come true. Everyone was weak there, and he did not want to have to deal with a bunch of weaklings. Ruling a large civilization of fighters was much more appealing, seeing how useful they proved to be at certain times.
Smirking, he reached into a bowl of fruit and pulled out an apple, biting into it. Chewing it, he thought over the recent events. Metal Head activity was still low, thankfully, but the Marauders had suddenly disappeared altogether, causing many to be paranoid and worried as to what was happening. Jak hadn't been around so he had no one to send out and investigate the matters.
Sighing, he bit into the apple again, and leaned back in the throne, staring up at the ceiling.
"Enjoying your life, eh?" an annoyed voice asked from the shadows, causing Sig to bolt upright. A slight snicker sounded throughout room, and a foot clothed by a sandal stepped into the light. "Others are collapsing under the stress of corruption, while a fool just idly sits here and eats apples…" A short boy with spiky black hair appeared, smirking angrily. "How nice."
Sig got to his feet, grabbing Peacemaker. He aimed it at the boy, yet was slightly taken aback when the boy made no indication that he was fazed. "Why are you here?" he demanded.
The boy rolled his eyes, taking a few steps forward. Sig's eye narrowed, and he cocked the gun, but the boy only smirked even wider. He put up his hand, and a swirling essence appeared in it, dark and warning. "I am only here to bring an end to corruption…to search for the essence that can and will spread all purity," he murmured, causing Sig to frown.
Realizing that something was seriously wrong with the kid, he did not regret pulling back the trigger, releasing a large ball of energy at him. The kid's eyes narrowed for a moment, and he completely disappeared. Sig furrowed his eyebrows and scanned the area. "Behind you!" a voice cackled, causing Sig to spin around. He met hazy eyes, and quickly found himself feeling mentally dizzy and unstable. "You are now my servant…" The boy muttered. "You will follow out my every command."
With that, Sig found himself falling into his mental fog. He struggled for a moment, yet succumbed to the fog when sleepiness became too difficult to fight off.
~:~
"Mother…what are those creatures?" a young girl of not even eight years old asked, tugging on her mother's skirt while pointing a large group of creatures with glowing skulls. Said girl's mother looked over from the line of clothing that she was currently taking down, eyes bright and happy. The girl instantly saw the look of happiness transform into one of horror.
"Oh my…" Her mother gasped, dropping the large coat that was in her hands. The young girl looked back at the strange creatures and frowned. They looked weird… A small weight was tossed onto her shoulders, causing the young girl to look up at her mother. Her mother dropped down to her knees and tugged a small vest onto the younger girl, tears shimmering in her eyes. The young girl tilted her head as her mother buttoned up her vest.
"Why are you crying, mother?" she asked. Her mother looked up at her, tears now drifting down her tan face. She gave a small, sad smile, and patted her daughter's cheek. She pulled out a bandana, and wrapped it around her head. The young girl's eyes traveled upwards as she struggled to see the bandana, lifting her hand and patting the fabric.
"Look at you, Yoko," her mother murmured, causing said girl to look over at her. Yoko's mother gave a sad laugh, and clutched her daughter's hands. "You've grown up quite a bit, huh?"
Yoko looked her mother in the eyes and shook her head. "No." Her mother raised her eyebrows at that. "I'm still a kid. I want to be a kid." Her mother released a sob at that, wrapping her arms around her child. Yoko's eyes widened a bit, yet she eventually returned the hug. "I'll always be your kid, mother."
She felt her mother nod, releasing another sob shortly afterwards. The grip tightened, before slacking. "I love you, Yoko."
Yoko nodded at that, and was gently pushed back. Her mother pulled back, face covered in tears. She nodded, and looked over at the door, where a tall man with spiked brown hair stood, face grave. When he spotted Yoko, his eyes narrowed, clearing his throat. "Come on Yoko, I want to show you a place," he told her.
Said girl looked over at her mother, who nodded, forcing a smile. Yoko furrowed her eyebrows, yet stepped forward, taking her father's hand, releasing her mother's.
Little did Yoko know, releasing her mother's hand would mean releasing her childhood.
~:~
Jak knew something was wrong when he spotted cloaked figures strolling around, talking to other cloaked people. His eyebrows slightly knitted together each time, and he very slightly noticed that Daxter tensed when he caught on. His hands began twitching, the idea of taking out the Morph Gun becoming more and more plausible as time grew.
He was walking towards the Freedom League HQ, deciding that not stealing a Zoomer was a good idea. Daxter had agreed too, complaining that his fur would get messed up and that he could die if Jak crashed. He rolled his eyes at that. Typical Dax.
As he rounded a corner, his eyes caught sight of a glowing Skull, yet being quickly concealed by a dark hood. At first, his eyes had widened and he almost pulled out his Morph Gun, yet a furry paw wrapped around his wrist. Daxter shot him a look. "I thought I saw a Metal Head," Jak muttered.
Daxter's eyes widened and he scanned the area, standing upright. "WHERE?!" he shouted, automatically causing everyone to lay their eyes on them. He slouched down, showing them all a sheepish grin. "Heh heh…" He glared down at his best friend. "You know, playing pranks like that isn't good for my mental health," he told his friend.
Jak sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. "It must be the nerves," he told himself, yet deep down his gut told him that something bigger was happening, and the nerves weren't involved. He never noticed this however, and finally spotted the fountain that signaled that they were near the HQ. Picking up speed, he came to a halt when he spotted Ashelin and a bunch of guards standing straight and tall in front of a short girl with black hair.
He felt Daxter lean down on his shoulder. "Hey, who's that weird looking chick?" Daxter asked.
Jak didn't respond, yet found his hand twitching yet again. His eyebrows creased, yet he forced himself to stroll forward. When he found himself in hearing range, he opened his mouth, ready to call for Ashelin yet stopped. "-I want you to find this nuisance and get information on them. Do you all understand?" a sweet voice asked.
The others nodded, saluting the girl. "Yes ma'am!" they all shouted, causing the girl to smirk.
The smirk disappeared, however, when she spotted the two, eyes widening. "Ah, who's this?" she murmured, taking a few steps forward. Her eyes instantly took on an amazed look. "Ah…Makoto warned me about you…Are you Jak and Daxter?" she called out.
Jak frowned when he spotted the others making no moves of acknowledgement of their existence. What was going on here? "What if we are?" Daxter called, causing the girl to smile sweetly.
The girl closed her eyes, giggling a bit. "Why…you're very cute," she giggled, causing the two heroes to stiffen.
"Cute?!" Daxter exclaimed, voice rising a bit. Jak felt his friend shudder.
The girl bit her lip. "Why, it would be my pleasure to have you two as my experiments…but Mako-ko wouldn't like that…" Her eyebrows were pulled together and her lip turned downwards. "Oh pooey…well…" She straightened a bit and latched her hands together. "If you can't be my experiments, you'll just be the main experiment for my new powers!" she said.
"Experiments?!" Daxter shrieked, voice rising ever higher. Jak took a step backwards, hand latching around the Morph Gun.
The girl winked at them. "My name's Mai…write it on your graves!" she yelled out, pointing her finger at them. She grinned demonically. "Kill them!"
"OUR GRAVES?!" Daxter screamed, hurting Jak's ear, yet he didn't mind. He rolled to the left, dodging multiple bullets. He pulled out the Morph Gun, switching it to the Beam Reflexor. Firing a few shots, he saw a few Freedom League guards go down, yet found himself taken aback when he spotted Ashelin aiming at him from afar. He rolled to the right, dodging a few bullets. In the background, he realized that Daxter was screaming, yet ignored it, dodging again. He realized that Ashelin was under some hypnosis, frowning at so. That must've been the power that Mai was speaking of.
"Nuh uh uh!" a sweet voice cried out, startlingly nearby. Jak whipped around, and found himself face to face with Mai. Daxter shrieked out of fear, and ran behind Jak's head. The girl smirked. Her hand wrapped around the Morph Gun. "No gun for you means more fun for me!" she laughed. Almost instantaneously, a bolt of painful electricity ran throughout the gun, coursing into Jak's body. Daxter jumped off and into the water, yelling out of fear.
Jak found himself shaking between balances. He instantly realized that Mai had destroyed the Morph Gun with Dark Eco, and that it was now coursing through his own system. He found the monster that he usually kept locked away in a box now attempting to shred its way to the surface, yet quickly built another wall, shaking himself to his senses.
Mai was only a few feet away, analyzing the broken Gun. Her eyebrows twisted upwards. "Oops, I'm sorry," she murmured. "Did I break your only weapon?" Her eyes traveled over to him, and her mouth turned into a devious smirk. "My bad."
Jak instantly realized that he was outnumbered, and looked around for Daxter. He found his friend clutching a lamppost nearby, and sprinted over towards, still slightly disoriented from the shock of Dark Eco. When his hand wrapped around his friend's torso, he yanked him off of the structure and pulled out his jetboard, performing a boost. Gun shots rang out from behind him, and some narrowly missed him as he escaped, yet he ignored them.
"Tess!" Daxter cried out. "We need to make sure my darling Tessie-Poo isn't hurt…or worse!"
Jak rolled his eyes at his friend, and continued onwards. Civilians were now running around in complete chaos, yet he ignored why. His eyes narrowed, though, when he remembered the girl mentioning someone named "Mako-ko". Is she working with someone? Did the other one take over Spargus?!
"Hey Jak, what's up with all the black cloaks everywhere?" Daxter suddenly asked, causing Jak's eyes to widen.
Said man scanned the area, and found himself horrified when he pieced it together. Tens of black cloaks lay in the street, along with multiple burns on the ground. As he traveled through the Industrial section, he realized one thing.
Haven City was now under Mai's control.
I hope that you enjoyed it! ^_^ Leave a review if you wanna, and if you have any questions I'll happily answer! And pardon any spelling/grammar mistakes. I have a poor eye when it comes to proofreading. Thanks for reading! Have a good day/week! ^_^
